has anyone seen that MTV show called "The Reality Show"? basically, it's a bunch of average people competeing for their own reality show. it's really pathetic, but i kinda watch it, so i guess i'm pathetic too.

but anyways...the important, semi-educational aspect of the show....

their is this one contestant named Kipchoge

i really do consider him a modern day Thoreau.

please check out some info on him..it's hysterical.

in the modern world, it can be done....Kipchoge proved it :)

first of all, let me start by saying WOW. how can someone have the attention span to write 12 printed pages about a fire place? when i first read this, i thought it was so bizarre that Thoreau chose to write an entire chapter on building a chimney and keeping a fire. but then i looked at it from the vantage point of Throeau himself. a fire was a VITAL thing to him. without it, he would not have eaten, would have froze, and wouldhave had little or no light in the cold winter months. so....if you read this and thought it was crazy, reconsider it; i did.

now, onto my agenda item:

"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."
Chapter 18, paragraph 5

it's nice to hear someone say that it's okay to dream big. if you don't have your dreams and aspirations, then what do you have? people always want to discourage others for being dreamers, but Thoreau says that it's perfectly fine to dream. but in order to be able to accomplish a dream, you have to work at it constantly, thus building the foundations. well put, Thoreau.

this is exactly the kind of quote i needed from this passage. i don't know why, but i consdier all of chapter 18 to be a sort of an inspirational speech. i know it seems kind of drastic to consider Thoreau a motivational speaker, but for me, he is. if Thoreau were still alive today, i would hope that he would go out for a cup of coffee with me and we could talk about life. for real.

i understand his writings, and this agenda item was actually really hard for me to post, because i drew so many inspirational quotes from this text.

some others are:

"While England endeavors to cure the potato-rot, will not any endeavor to cure the brain-rot, which prevails so much more widely and fatally?"

and...

"Any truth is better than make-believe."

and...

"Things do not change; we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts."

really, though, i could go on forever. i don't know about the rest of you, but this semester has been one of the most stressful times in my life, but in a good and productive way. these little inspirational quotes mean alot to me and encourage me to not lose myself amidst all the school work. i'm probably overanalyzing this, but these are my thoughts.

now tell me yours.

PS-i gave blood today and i didn't pass out. i'm proud of myself.

The first few chapters of "The Scarlet Letter" really got me rolling on the blog lifestyle, as did most of my other entries.

Scarlet Letter Part 2

Scarlet Letter Part 3

Scarlet Letter Part 4

Customs house vs. Bartleby's workplace

Depth

"Bartleby the Scrivener" made me get involved, way involved. Like, way more than usual.

Interaction
My blog on the third part of "The Scarlet Letter" triggered some great peer interaction.

Also, the class discussion on the "Young Goodman Brown" site was lengthy, as well as informative.

Discussions

Also, my blog about Pearl's lifestyle at the end of the novel produced some great discussions, as well.

Poe's "Conqueror Worm" sparked a lengthy discussion among classmates.

Timeliness

It seems to be that all of my blog entries were in on time...hmmm. Maybe I suffer from OCD and must have them in on time. Anyways, here they are:

Scarlet Letter Part 1

Scarlet Letter Part 2

Scarlet Letter Part 3

Scarlet Letter Part 4

Bartleby the Scrivener

Xenoblogging

* The Comment Primo:
Ashley Holtzer's entry on Dimmesdale's death triggered some deep thoughts for the class.

Also, I was the first to comment on Jay's blog. about Dimmesdale's sermon.

* The Comment Grande:

Neha's entry on "Bartleby the Scrivener" triggered lengthy thoughts from myself.

Wildcard

My entry on "Bartleby the Scrivener" really involved me in the story and made me think of my blog as an accomplishment.

The custom's house and Bartleby's workplace both exhibited a working-class man's job in the respective time periods.

She should not have to suffer by herself. She is not the only one who committed a sin. Also, thinking back to "young goodman brown"--is not everyone a sinner at some point in their life? Why should hester prynne have to pay so deeply for her sins? Should God not be the one to judge her in the end anyways? Sure, it was obvious that she committed adultery because she became pregnant, but the guy got away too easily. There was no way in telling that he was a culprit as well.

Through all of this, Hester refuses to give his name. That takes one tough chick. To go through a jail pregnancy, to be told by her former husband to never speak of him, to be shunned to the outskirts of town, and to be mocked at every glance--all without utterance of the man whom she slept with? That takes one tough chick. Hester Prynne is one touch chick, if you ask me.

I wrote the paper. Two and a half pages. Yet I'm not sure if I accomplished what I was supposed to accomplish. I created a "semi-thesis," as I like to call it, and I supported my claim to the best of my abilities.

Is that right?

Some suggestions would be awesome.